Breathe

chapter seventeen: popping pills

"These are your grandmother's ashes." Ms. Martin told Lydia, handing her a vase.

"Grandma died in Eichen House." Lydia said, coming to terms with the new information.

As it turns out, Mrs. Martin, as in Lydia's grandma, was friends with Mer at Eichen.

"Your father had a difficult relationship with his mother. But after the things she said, and the way she acted..." Ms. Martin trailed off.

"He thought she was crazy." I said.

"Well, she said she heard things." Ms. Martin explained.

"Why did she want her ashes in here?" Lydia asked.

"Well, actually, she didn't. She left instructions to have them spread across the lake." Ms. Martin said.

"How come you haven't done it?" Lydia asked.

"Because she wanted you to do it. When you turned eighteen. Don't ask me why. But since there's only a few weeks till that, I suppose now is as good a time as any." Ms. Martin said, handing her the vase.

I gave Lydia a look to tell her I was here for her in this emotional time. 

Lydia looked in and made a perplexed face before looking at me and tilting her head toward it and when I looked inside I knew what she meant.

"Mom, these aren't Grandma's ashes." Lydia said.

"What do you mean? Of course they are." Ms. Martin said.

Lydia stuck her hand in the vase and pulling up a handful of the black powder, letting it go as it slowly fell back in the vase.

"No. It's Mountain Ash." Lydia said.

Lydia took the handful and threw it toward the lake forming a perfect line from wall to wall, as Ms. Martin gasped.

"The whole building. It's all made of Mountain Ash." I added, Lydia and I completely confused.

Ms. Martin pulled a box out of the cabinet and began rummaging through it.

"Why would there be mountain ash where Grandma's ashes should be?" Lydia asked.

"More importantly, what happens when you turn 18 that you need to throw them?" I asked and Lydia looked concerned.

"This was the last thing your grandmother wrote down before she died. Don't even know why I kept it because it's basically nonsense." Ms. Martin broke the silence.

Lydia grabbed the paper and unfolded it quickly, reading the many numbers on the paper.

"Are you absolutely sure Grandma's dead?" Lydia asked.

"Yes. I mean, she has to be." Ms. Martin responded.

"This isn't nonsense, Mom." Lydia said showing me the paper.

"It's code." I responded.

"Code? Code to what?" Ms. Martin asked.

"It's a long complicated story mom, but we have to go." Lydia said, grabbing her things and my hand as she started to leave.

"Mom," Lydia said, turning around, she ran to her a hugged her. "Thank you." 

Lydia came back over to me as I got down on my knees and swiped the mountain ash away so Lydia could leave.

We got in Lydia's car, and she was going fast back to Beacon Hills.

"Lydia, slow down. You don't actually think your grandmother faked her death do you?" I asked.